Redesigning Flight Assist Astromech for v2.0

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Most older players should remember everyone’s favorite cheap astromech from 1.0. For some of us, the reason we own multiple Sheathipedes. It was the first taste of boost or barrel roll for generic X-Wings, and mostly just a lot of fun.

Does 2.0 need a direct copy of FAA? I don’t think so. FFG has done a good job with the new action bars on the X-Wings and Y-Wings. As adding cheap action economy starts breaking down the balance of the game, I believe reimagining FAA could be fun instead. My intent is to offer a generic, offensively oriented astromech that is useful to both X-Wings, and Y-Wings. It would “assist” the pilot by automating some of the ship’s systems. With that in mind:

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Flight Assist Astromech

Small Ship Only

At the beginning of the engagement phase, you may spend one charge. If you do, you may rotate your turret indicator or flip an equipped Configuration card.

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I like it, but I think it should be 3 points, lose the engagement phase rotate arc, and make the linked rotate off of the calculate into a white action. 4 points for what is effectively a Luke Gunner that you can spam multiple copies is a bit insane, even with a 2 charge limit. Imagine fighting 5 Y-Wings with this and Dorsal Turret, creating a huge blocking net and always being able to shoot all 5 guns at range 1 no matter what, or 4 Y-Wings with this, ion turret and veteran turret gunner, *shudder.

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Luke Gunner is 30 - a force point is currently valued at about 12 points. Therefore, your FAA in engagement arc rotate is replicating the other 18 points of the Luke Gunner card. Knock a few points off for charges, That astro would be lucky to cost less than 10 points.

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@Dreadai is right about the value of 'perfect board knowledge'. I don't think it's that brutal on an X-wing but making it work with turrets seems right out. Remember that the original Flight Assist actively locked you out of using turrets by mandating firing arc only.

Is there a reason not just to duplicate the old rule - if you full execute a manoeuvre and have no enemy ship in your firing arc (which as a phrase covers forward and turret, I think), spend a charge for a free boost or barrel roll.

That basically makes you BB-8, but with a different trigger - which means the starting price is ~ 8 points, give or take a modifier for how common "no ship in arc pre manoeuvre" is relative to "revealed a blue manoeuvre".

That would be an interesting effect but I wouldn't want to add that to an astromech as well as a repositioning effect. That's interesting in and of itself.

I would suggest such an astromech has two effects:

Add a white calculate to your action bar (easy to define as it's just an icon on the edge of the card)

When you perform an action, you may spend a charge to perform a red calculate action

Basically gives you a (VERY) cut down version of the old push the limit - you only get a calculate, not a focus, and only have a restricted number of uses (1, if you want to make sure it stays cheap and not overpowered). But the ability to lock/calculate even once, or focus/calculate for a sort of mini-glitterstim, is potentially worth it, plus, as you note, it lets you benefit from IG-88 or C-3PO (or, if Seperatists ever gain an astromech-capable ship, Kraken)

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Add a white calculate to your action bar (easy to define as it's just an icon on the edge of the card

When C-3PO was first revealed, my immediate thought was that they are going to introduce an astromech (or modification) that will allow his ability to be used, because right now, half his cost is in the cross board calculate that he can't use.

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Don’t forget the app allows the card to cost different points. So maybe more points for a ship with an equipped turret and less points for a ship that doesn’t have one and is using the config part of the ability.